Catheter rotary apparatus for optical coherence tomography

Abstract

A catheter rotary apparatus for OCT includes a rotary junction module and a catheter. The rotary junction module includes a body part including a through part to enable an optical fiber on a sample stage side of OCT system to pass at one end and an optical fiber on a catheter side to pass at the other end, a fiber optic rotary joint provided at one end on the sample stage side of OCT system of the body part and configured to connect the optical fiber on the sample stage side of OCT system and the optical fiber on the catheter side and a catheter. The catheter includes a female type optical connector connected to the male type optical connector, and a cap part clamped to the body part. The cap part includes an outer cap coupled to a through part formed in the body part, an inner cap inserted into the outer cap, and a fixed cap coupled to the female type optical connector and rotated when the female type optical connector is rotated.

1 . A catheter rotary apparatus for OCT, comprising:
 a rotary junction module which includes   a body part including a through part to enable an optical fiber on a sample stage side of OCT system to pass at one end and an optical fiber on a catheter side to pass at the other end,   a fiber optic rotary joint provided at one end on the sample stage side of OCT system of the body part and configured to connect the optical fiber on the sample stage side of OCT system and the optical fiber on the catheter side, and   a motor part which is provided inside the body part and configured to rotate the optical fiber on the catheter side, and includes a male type optical connector configured to connect the optical fiber on the catheter side and a catheter; and   a catheter which includes   a female type optical connector connected to the male type optical connector, and   a cap part clamped to the body part,   wherein the cap part includes:   an outer cap coupled to a through part formed in the body part;   an inner cap inserted into the outer cap; and   a fixed cap coupled to the female type optical connector and rotated when the female type optical connector is rotated.   
     
     
         2 . The catheter rotary apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the rotary junction module further includes   a clamp part of which one end is inserted into the through part and the other end is located to face the motor part, and   the inner cap is coupled to the clamp part.   
     
     
         3 . The catheter rotary apparatus of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the rotary junction module further includes   a drive part coupled to the body part and configured to move the motor part and the clamp part in one direction.   
     
     
         4 . The catheter rotary apparatus of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the clamp part includes:   an inner cap coupling which is inserted to be in tight contact with an inner circumferential surface of the through part and of which one end is coupled to the inner cap; and   a drive part coupling coupled to the other end of the inner cap coupling and connected to the drive part.   
     
     
         5 . The catheter rotary apparatus of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the drive part includes:   a first drive unit connected to the motor part and configured to move the motor part in one direction; and   a second drive unit connected to the clamp part and configured to move the clamp part in one direction.   
     
     
         6 . The catheter rotary apparatus of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the motor part is moved backwards in one direction by the first drive unit and the clamp part is moved backwards in one direction by the second drive unit at the same time, and, thus, the catheter is pulled back.   
     
     
         7 . The catheter rotary apparatus of  claim 5 ,
 wherein only the motor part is moved backwards in one direction by the first drive unit in a state where the clamp part has been inserted in the body part by the second drive unit, and, thus, the female type optical connector is decoupled from the male type optical connector.   
     
     
         8 . The catheter rotary apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the motor part includes:   a motor which has a hollow shape in order for the optical fiber on the catheter side to be inserted into the motor and connected to the male type optical connector;   a fixed ring coupled to the outside of the motor and having a greater diameter than the motor; and   a housing formed to enclose an outer circumferential surface of the fixed ring.   
     
     
         9 . The catheter rotary apparatus of  claim 8 ,
 wherein a plurality of grooves is recessed inwards on the outer circumferential surface of the fixed ring.   
     
     
         10 . The catheter rotary apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the motor part further includes a universal coupler which is coupled to the rotator of the fiber optic rotary joint and configured to rotate the rotator.   
     
     
         11 . The catheter rotary apparatus of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the motor part further includes   an encoder coupled to one side of the motor and configured to control a rotation speed of the motor.   
     
     
         12 . The catheter rotary apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the catheter further includes:   a torque coil which is connected to the female type optical connector and allows insertion of the optical fiber on the catheter side and thus emits light;   a first protective sheath located outside a proximal side of the torque coil; and   a second protective sheath located in the entire torque coil and outside the proximal side.   
     
     
         13 . The catheter rotary apparatus of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the first protective sheath and the second protective sheath are formed of flexible materials.   
     
     
         14 . The catheter rotary apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the outer cap is rotationally coupled to the through part.   
     
     
         15 . The cart catheter rotary apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a plurality of catching projections is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the outer cap, a plurality of catching grooves is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the through part, and the outer cap is coupled to the through part by the plurality of catching projections and the plurality of catching grooves.